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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541943">tall tail</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/howaboutpotatoes/pseuds/howaboutpotatoes'>howaboutpotatoes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Domestic Boyfriends, Established Relationship, Magical Accidents, Multi, Polyamory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:15:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541943</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/howaboutpotatoes/pseuds/howaboutpotatoes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Mm,” Jaemin lets out a sound of agreement, bringing the arm around Jeno's waist to rest by his heart. “D'you like it?”</p><p>“Of course,” Jeno breathes, molding into Jaemin’s hold. </p><p>He feels the imprint of a grin as Jaemin kisses under his ear. “Happy birthday.”</p><p> </p><p>or, Jeno's birthday goes perfectly— at least, until one of the gifts turns him into a dog.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>nono birthday bash</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>tall tail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinywriterfairy/gifts">Tinywriterfairy</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for mel!!! 💘🌼 i never finished the other work i meant to gift u, so the universe (duhui gods) dropped ur prompts in my lap and here we are :D!!</p><p>the prompt as i have envisioned it in my mind: tfw ur bf turns into a dog and ur like wtf but ur other boyfriend is having way too much fun with said bf and ur fighting off a migraine bc HOW IS UR BF A DOG RN</p><p>lots of waxing poetic and jeno love ahead. enjoy!! 🐶</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>All things considered, Jeno's birthday was the best he could've ever asked for. Time is fleeting and convenience is a luxury, and though he's got a lot of it left, he clings to moments like this. Nights like these, when there's an opportunity to think, to reminisce with his friends and be free, where the worries melt away and connection is left, he lives in the past. Echoes of high school, of college; old hangouts matured, lens flipped to nostalgic. Tonight he gets to be young. Every day is a dance with the future, and for these hours that music is paused— he finds clarity in laughter and familiar voices, the surrounding warmth of his loved ones, in the <em>clink</em> of placed glasses and far off cheers. It's a comfort that makes everything click into place, and he knows he's tumbling into life just fine.</p><p>Letting them go is a lengthy affair, full of repeated goodbyes and kisses and teasing, his arms loaded with tiny gifts as a compromise with his insistence that no one bring any at all. There's Mark's hug as Jeno pokes his sides and tells him to call more often, Donghyuck's flurry of pecks and attempts to shove money in Jeno's pocket. Jisung slurring <em>Get home safe</em> yet not letting go of Jeno's hand until he had promised, Chenle's muted grin as Jeno fussed over his coat, pressing down wrinkles while waiting together for his Uber. And the constant presence of Renjun and Jaemin beside him, hands linked with his own as they head home. Encased in their own bubble, Renjun pushes his nose into Jeno's neck and Jaemin drapes over Jeno's back, watching the two of them fondly as the train rattles.</p><p> </p><p>"We dropped by here earlier," Renjun announces as Jeno waddles into the apartment, Jaemin hanging onto him like a koala.</p><p>Jeno flicks Jaemin's thigh as he toes off his shoes, clicking his tongue in acknowledgement and padding further into the foyer. He flushes when his boyfriends stay quiet and stare him down, both amused. The attention was split amongst their group before, but now it's all on him, searing over his skin. "What?"</p><p>"Nothing," Jaemin says brightly, then exchanges a glance with Renjun. "Well, something. Ask us what for!"</p><p>Jeno squints at their twin grins before giving a fond sigh, dropping his wallet on the table and allowing Jaemin to pull him to the couch. "Why'd you need to come here, then?"</p><p>Their secret is revealed when Renjun brandishes an unassuming gift bag, and places a long, velvet box into his palms. "It's just a little thing from the both of us," he promises, flopping onto the couch.</p><p>"Oh," Jeno blinks at the sight of jewelry. It's a lovely necklace, with a simple chain and an intricate three charms at the forefront. Heat blooms across his collar from the weighted gazes of his boyfriends, and though it's in anticipation and excitement for his reaction rather than pressure, all appreciative thoughts go right out the window. He could ask <em>Do we have matching ones? </em>or any other appropriate question, but he fumbles and says: "Only one?"</p><p>It takes a moment until Jaemin snorts so loud that he startles Jeno into dropping the box, and then they're all choking on laughter.</p><p>"It's one of three," Renjun says, eyes sparkling, and Jeno spends a bit too long admiring them before the words sink in.</p><p>His brows knit together. "Wait, three <em>gifts</em>?"</p><p>Renjun fiddles with the seam of Jeno's pants. "Yeah," he says, smile taking over his face. "Got a problem with that?"</p><p>“It's our joint gift,” Jaemin pipes up from behind Jeno's ear, caressing and tracing patterns down his neck. "One from me, one from him, and one together."</p><p>The gesture makes his face warm, but his protests are washed away by how sweet they are, to go above and beyond what he'd ever expected. "You're doing too much," Jeno mumbles, thumbing over the metal chain, mind buzzing.</p><p>Jaemin shrugs and drums his fingers against his waist, untroubled. "Put it on," he urges, "I wanna see."</p><p>Jeno slouches into his embrace as Renjun rests the necklace over his shirt, Jaemin taking the ends and clasping them at the back of his neck. "Pretty," he whispers into Jeno's ear, breath hitting his cheek.</p><p>Renjun slides between Jeno's legs, laying a finger on the charm as he smiles to himself. "We made a good choice, didn't we?" He muses, stare meeting Jeno's own.</p><p>Jaemin presses kisses along Jeno's jaw, moving down the column of his throat as his breaths grow unsteady. "Definitely," he agrees, wrapping his arms more protectively around Jeno's middle. He huffs a laugh that bleeds into something else when Renjun cups his face and connects their lips together, shifting closer and they melt into one, Jaemin's low murmurs ringing in the space between them, and the time passes like that. </p><p> </p><p>Their arrangement is a constant rotation; just last month it was Renjun in their arms, flushed and dismissing them, torn from not knowing whether he wanted to shy away from the affection or lean into it. (He did know, deep down, and Jaemin and Jeno did deliver.) In a couple of months it’ll be Jaemin, but tonight it’s Jeno’s birthday, and these occasions call for treatment with the utmost care.</p><p>Jaemin fidgets with an absentminded need to touch, to engage as little signs of his love, even after he settles down like this. For Jeno, the sensations are a welcome presence; he enjoys the feel of Jaemin’s fingertips ghosting across his skin, the constant movement of his hand playing with Jeno's hair. Jaemin shifts where he's pressed against Jeno's back, bare chest meeting thin shirt. Renjun gazes at him with the corners of his mouth turned up and something about this, about being intimate and open and breathing in tandem breaks Jeno’s heart a little, because he aches for the two men beside him and he always will, even when he already has them— nothing can quell the longing, the love so intense that your body blazes. Yet it makes his heart full, too, because he is so, <em>so</em> loved and Jaemin and Renjun never fail to make sure that he knows it, that he feels it, every single day they're together, and send reminders when they're apart.</p><p>To have his lovers like this— it's so much, and it's wonderful. Jeno is probably wearing that blissed out smile, the one he's been made aware of time and time again when Jaemin dives in to kiss him and proclaim it's his favorite (though all his smiles are their favorite, really,) as he stares back at Renjun, but. Can you blame him?</p><p>“You two are so weird.”</p><p>Jaemin huffs a short laugh at that while Renjun just hums, quirking an eyebrow and rests his palm against his collarbone, letting go of the chain. “How so?”</p><p>“You really like the necklace.” It was draped along Jeno's neckline at the start of the evening, and there it stayed, warm beneath his clothes. (Warm like hands intertwined, thighs pressed together, calls and shouts of friends into the night.)</p><p>“Yeah,” Renjun says softly, eyes meeting Jeno's, warmed by sheer tenderness held within them. “Just looks good on you.”</p><p>“Mm,” Jaemin lets out a sound of agreement, bringing the arm around Jeno's waist to rest by his heart. “D'you like it?”</p><p>“Of course,” Jeno breathes, molding into Jaemin’s hold.</p><p>He feels the imprint of a grin as Jaemin kisses under his ear. “Happy birthday.”</p><p>“You keep saying that,” Jeno teases, but he’s safe, secure, content. “Thank you.”</p><p>Renjun leans forward to give Jeno a slow kiss, tucking his bangs aside when they part. "We'll have tomorrow all to ourselves," Renjun promises, features smoothed in the low lamp light, as if dipped in paint.</p><p>"Yah, what about me?" Jaemin mumbles, curling his lips into a pout.</p><p>Renjun tuts but twists to kiss Jaemin as well, the two of them meeting over his shoulder, and Jeno doesn't mind the sight.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>So, Jeno’s birthday was the best day he could've asked for. The day after, however—</p><p>All his senses are fuzzy, sated by the satisfaction of laying with his loves. The first to sharpen is his hearing, tiny scratches and whines, and then perception of the world around him falls in line. He registers someone is missing, but that someone is.. who? He sends out a foot, jostling the body next to his— Renjun, who turns over with a groan, blinking at him all bleary-eyed, and that's when it clicks. Jeno is the missing piece. A little strange, though not overly so— he could've gone to do any number of things, and Jaemin will drag him back to bed for cuddles, and it'll be a normal morning.</p><p>Except that there’s a massive white animal sitting at the side of their bed.</p><p>“Injun,” he croaks, fighting to keep the rising panic out of his tone as he shakes Renjun’s shoulder.</p><p>“What?” Renjun grumbles, hair sticking up every which way and frowning at the empty spot between them. “Where's Jen? He go to the bathroom or somethin'?” He says, the words muffled by the pillow.</p><p>“Not even a <em>good morning</em>?” Jaemin laughs, strained, and tears his vision away from the ball of fluff to take in Renjun in all his messy morning glory. In any other circumstances, he'd be smooching all over his face and drawing him close. Renjun bats at him while closing his eyes. sinking back into the mattress without a second thought.</p><p>"Babe," he tries again, an edge cutting through his voice that finally makes Renjun turn. “I think....”</p><p>Renjun yawns, scrubbing a hand over his face. “What is it?”</p><p>In lieu of an explanation, Jaemin gently tilts Renjun’s head to the side and waits until he zeroes in on the dog. There’s a little collar fastened around his neck, charm in the middle with smaller ones on each side, same as.. Well.</p><p>"Oh," Renjun sits up so quick he knocks his forehead on Jaemin's chin and they both groan. "Holy fuck. What the fuck."</p><p>It’s not a puppy, definitely; the dog is huge, but its wide eyed stare and constant whines, only quieting when it's got their attention, are immediate grounds for babying in Jaemin's opinion. He gnaws at his bottom lip. “Do you think it's—?” He falters, unsure if Renjun’s surprise is at the animal’s appearance or if they’ve come to the same realization.</p><p>“Jeno,” Renjun confirms with a nod, and Jaemin relaxes with the knowledge that he’s not crazy, or if he is crazy, then at least not alone. Renjun swings his legs over the side of the bed as the dog whimpers, scratching the wood more desperately, and Jeno jumps to put his paws on Renjun's shins, whining again. He extends a hand to Jeno’s nose, unfurling his fist as Jeno licks his fingers and rises up higher on his hind legs.</p><p>“Bring him up here, I think that’s what he’s trying to do,” Jaemin suggests, and Renjun hoists Jeno into his lap when he barks in (possible) assent. Once situated, Jeno’s tail beats against Renjun’s thigh as he shakes his head and starts pressing his tongue to Renjun’s nose, moving the little kisses all along his skin.</p><p>Renjun laughs at Jeno’s growl when he pushes him away from his face. “Not on the lips,” he chides, endeared as Jeno sniffs and shoves his nose under Jaemin’s shirt.</p><p>Jaemin cringes as Jeno wriggles and pokes through the top, leaning back to accommodate the weight until he's laying flat. “Oh, paws on your chest feel so weird.” Jeno rests his chin and blinks up at Jaemin, who scratches behind his ears. “He's really warm though. You're so cute, how'd you do this, hmm?” He coos, rubbing their faces together.</p><p>Renjun observes, feeling as if his mind went through the ringer. “This is not how I imagined this morning would go.”</p><p>“Oh?” Jaemin looks up, grin sharp. “What did you have in mind? The morning's not over.”</p><p>Renjun glares. “Absolutely not,” he states, swatting him off. “Plans with all three of us. And don't talk to him like he's a child, he's still Jeno in there.”</p><p>The second Jaemin stops petting Jeno, he butts his hand to get him to continue. “I think he likes it,” Jaemin sings, smug. Renjun rolls his eyes and directs his efforts to research, tuning out the sound of his boyfriend watching Netflix, pressing his lips to Jeno’s crown every so often while Renjun scours the Internet. Eventually, Jeno slips out from under Jaemin and steps over Renjun’s hair, burying his snout in his neck.</p><p>“Hey, sorry baby,” Renjun whispers, nails coming to tickle under Jeno’s chin. Maybe he's a bit of a hypocrite, but how can he not soften at the sight? It eats Renjun up from the inside to restrain from squishing Jeno and lose all composure in wake of babying a cute dog. “I'm just thinking about how to get you back.”</p><p>“Enjoy it while you got it,” Jaemin says, but rolls over to join them, throwing an arm over Renjun’s waist and propping his head next to where Jeno now sits. Jeno laws a paw on his forehead. “Any luck?”</p><p>Jeno pushes his snout into Renjun’s arm, insistent as he nudges his hand. “Anything wrong?” He makes a soft noise and wiggles further, nosing at Renjun’s stomach.</p><p>“He’s hungry,” Jaemin translates, to which Jeno yips, and Renjun ponders the point when they developed reliable communication. Jeno bounds through the door and toward the kitchen, only going into action when he has them following behind. He stops at the fridge and turns around, tilting his head.</p><p>"What do you want to eat, honey?" Jaemin questions, nodding intently as Jeno just barks and leaps onto the table. "Great talk. I guess I'll make some meat," he shrugs, tearing the wrapper off a pack of cookies for himself and grabbing a pan.</p><p>Renjun takes the liberty of raiding Jeno's secret stash of cereal boxes and pours a generous heaping, which launches Jeno into a series of complaints and betrayed looks. He licks the hand holding the spoon and whines until Renjun surrenders it, glancing from his phone to see Jeno has taken a finger hostage. Renjun watches with mirth as Jeno gnaws on it enthusiastically but without force, tail wagging non-stop.</p><p>A touch trails across Renjun’s shoulder. “Here you go.” Jaemin sets down a plate of steamed meat and a bowl of water, petting Jeno's fur. “Stop trying to eat Injun alive.”</p><p>Jeno nips him for the comment before focusing on the food. Some things never change.</p><p>Jaemin knocks their feet. “He always wanted a pet,” He recalls, thinking of the three cats still living at Jeno's parent's house. "Maybe it's a sign from the universe."</p><p>"A way to fulfill that?" Renjun pauses at the implications. “I think it's different when you are the pet though,” he says, reveling in sweet victory when Jeno peers at him and his eyes morph into crescents.</p><p>The quiet peace breaks when Jeno hops off the counter and weaves through their legs before padding to the couch. He paws at his closed laptop, giving a sharp bark when neither of them move.</p><p>"Movies?" Jaemin guesses, looking to Renjun for support, who is more lost than he is. He crouches next to the coffee table and flips the computer open, but Jeno kicks at his necklace and sighs while waiting for Renjun to join them. His movements grow frenzied and he growls until Jaemin draws him into his lap and strokes over his back to calm him. “Alright! You want it off, I got you baby, don't worry,” he rambles, fussing with the clasp.</p><p>There's a collective exhale of relief when the necklace is removed, but nothing more. Jeno lets out a confused sound, all fur and four legs, and: "Still not human," Renjun realizes, laughing in disbelief. "Shit, that's what you were trying to do. God, Jeno."</p><p>Jaemin sags against the couch. "What? I thought he was going to hurt himself, gave me the scare of my life."</p><p>Jeno whimpers in apology and squishes between them as they take a moment to collect themselves. "I am going back to bed," Jaemin declares. "We're gonna cuddle and watch whatever and forget that happened. Any objections?"</p><p>"We just ate," Renjun mentions, but picks up the laptop and another blanket on his way out.</p><p>Jaemin curls into the sheets, Jeno covering his body with his own. "These were kinda our plans anyway," he says, rubbing circles into Jeno's head.</p><p>Renjun hums, propping up the computer and spreading the blanket over their forms, trapping the heat. He chooses an old favorite and lets it play, tucking into Jaemin's outstretched arm. His gaze lingers on Renjun instead of the screen. "You can sleep." Renjun brushes Jaemin's hair aside, cradling his cheek as Jaemin closes his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Consciousness hits Jeno like a freight train, or in more polite terms, getting the air squeezed from his lungs by Jaemin's hug. "You're back," Jaemin gasps, kissing over every inch of Jeno's face until he deems it enough, only detaching to beam at him. “I missed you so much.”</p><p>Renjun raises an eyebrow. “You didn't seem too sad about it earlier,” he jokes, but pecks Jeno's forehead too.</p><p>Jaemin clutches Jeno tighter, raising his head to glare. “How could you even say that to me, the man I so desperately trust." Renjun snorts to himself, carding through the dresser. "And now you run, yet I want you back in my arms. Slender Aphrodite has stricken me—"</p><p>"It's literally been like 7 hours total, max," Jeno reminds them with a laugh, but after the whirlwind morning, he thanks them for the antics. He's glad to be back.</p><p>"Too long." Jaemin deflates. "That necklace…"</p><p>Renjun clicks his tongue. "Our present is ruined then, right?"</p><p>"I mean," Jeno tries, "It was cool." They both shoot him judgemental looks and he further digs his own grave: "What if you wore it?" He wonders aloud. "Would it work too?"</p><p>A beat. “There's only one way to find out, right?”</p><p>Jaemin gapes at Renjun. "Wait. We aren't going to run trial and error with it—"</p><p>Renjun nods. “I think I'd be a nice Golden Retriever. Thoughts?"</p><p>“My brain isn't ready for this again. What are you talking about? If you were any animal you'd be a cat."</p><p>"I know you, <em>you</em> would totally be the cat—"</p><p>In their midst, Jeno appreciates the view of them for a moment, all three of them as a whole, and he's so fond and so grateful to have these two wonderful people beside him and present in his life. Even if they argue over who's the cat when they're <em>both</em> the cat and that is simply the truth.</p><p>“Stop fighting,” Jeno cuts in, gripping Renjun's wrist and tugging him towards the bed. “I think you should catch me up on those promises you made yesterday.”</p><p>With how Jaemin brackets him in and how Renjun hovers by his side, they're more than happy to oblige.</p>
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